Geographical location authentication method for mobile voting

ABSTRACT

A system and method for authenticating votes received from a voter&#39;s mobile device comprising a computer programmed with a set of computer-readable instructions and a database accessed by mobile device reading a durable computer readable medium stored in a computer server, the database comprising a registered voter and a geographical location for the registered voter&#39;s postal mail delivery address, means to receive a vote in an election over a wireless carrier network, means to determine the geographical location of a device which transmitted the vote over the wireless network comprising cell tower triangulation, and means to reject the vote if the geographical location of the device which transmitted the vote is not within a predetermined distance from the geographical location for the registered voter stored in the database.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.61/275,603 filed Sep. 1, 2009 and U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser.No. 12/635,847 filed on Dec. 11, 2009, each of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Consumers utilize the internet from devices such as mobile phones andportable computing devices to conduct trustworthy online bankingtransfers or internet-based purchase services and goods with a creditcard account. These processes use various electronic token andencryption means with passwords, caller ID technology and otherbiometric security functions to authorize access or complete a purchaseonline. In contrast, voting in official governmental and other electionvote processes have not been able to enjoy the same automatedtrustworthy methods due to the absence of a reliable paper-verifiablemethod to count a vote using the internet with a method to mitigatevoter fraud.

The current state of art in online voting for state, local andinternational governmental and other trustworthy elections (e.g.,shareholder proxy vote, election of a board of directors, a vote on alocal community issue or policy, popularity selection process, etc.) isprimarily directed to applications for voter registration that can beaccomplished online, but not voting online by internet with a highlyreliable or trustworthy voter verification and authentication datamethod. Instead, a voter is registered by internet methods and computerprintouts to record a signature and instructed to then vote at aphysical polling location where a voter's identity is re-authenticatedand re-verified. Only then is a printed ballot presented for selectionand recording.

The other current approach is to use ordinary absentee ballotsdistributed by U.S. Postal Service mail to the voter's home address andthen to allow voters to return them online. A voter typically goes to aweb site and downloads a file containing an absentee ballot and a coversheet. After printing out the file, the voter fills out the cover sheet(giving his name and other signature and certification information) andthe ballot. He/she scans the cover sheet and ballot, and uploads thescan to a web site or sends the ballot as fax. Election authority orauthorized officials or individuals collect and print the resultingfile, and treat the printout like an ordinary absentee ballot.

Many criticize the security of these prior art systems sincedistribution of blank ballots under the prior art cannot be secureenough since returning filled-out ballots from an ordinary computer andbrowser presents authentication and security risks. There are integrityand authentication issues because several things can go wrong here: anattacker could subvert the voter's computer and have it modify theballots before sending them; they could get phished and the phishercould modify their ballot appropriately before passing it on to thecentral site. Finally, the attacker could subvert the central databaseserver and modify the ballots before they are printed out. These currentprior art methods provide no way for a voting authority or otheradministrator of the voting process to verify or authenticate thephysical Postal Service mailing address of the voter or geographicallocation of the voter as a data authentication and verification methodto accept a vote for processing using a consumer device. Furthersupporting the method's improvement over prior art is the factgeographical data reported by consumer device is reliable and can beconsidered highly resistant to any broad scale attack or “spoofing.”That is because a consumer cannot gain easy access to a personalconsumer device to open it and alter. In addition, each device typicallyincludes a normal password authentication requirement to access thedevice and these and other SIM card identity elements, in combination,are enough to avoid a casual hacker installing a rogue GPS driver onto aconsumer device for the purpose of misleading location data of thedevice for voting.

While the current art does use tools of internet to make a significantimpact on current paper-based fill-in ballot election systems, they haveheretofore been unknown to use the method of cell tower triangulationgeolocation data at the time of a vote, and capturing and assemblingdata reported by a consumer device with other voter identity and MobileSensor API device sensor data gathered and sent to a computer serverover the internet, as a data authentication and verification method incontext of internet voting systems or methods.

U.S. Publication No. 20050101307 by Torsten et al. teaches a method toperform voting, as well as a vote server, a mobile terminal and acomputer program product used for voting. The vote server generates aunique transaction number associated with a specific voting item and aspecific subscriber. It transmits the unique transaction number togetherwith the specific voting item to the mobile terminal of the specificsubscriber. The mobile terminal sends back a response comprising thevote together with the transaction number and a unique identificationnumber associated with the subscriber of the mobile terminal. The voteserver compares the received transaction number and the receivedidentification number with stored values and accepts the vote containedin the response, if the check is positive. The application alsodescribes the application of a SIM card when a mobile terminal receivesa voting item from a vote server and performs a subscriberauthentication based process.

U.S. Publication No. 20090072032 by Cardone, teaches an apparatus forexecuting a trusted electronic voting system under the control of anelection authority comprising: a. at least one electronic votingmachine; b. an election configuration for said voting machine in saidelectronic voting system; and c. a trusted computing platform for saidvoting machine in said electronic voting system. While Cordone doesprovide a trustworthy voting platform, such platform is based on votingat a polling place and fails to teach the advantages and improvements ofa voting with a consumer mobile device.

U.S. Publication 20090187492 by Hammad shows how the GPS feature inmobile phones has been used for authentication outside the internetelection voting environment. The Hammad invention is directed toauthenticating a portable consumer device that is used to conduct atransaction at a merchant. The portable consumer device is authenticatedbased on location data coming from at least two different sources. Forexample, first location information may be received from a mobilecommunication device possessed by a consumer and second locationinformation may be received from a POS terminal operated by a merchantconducting the transaction. If the first location information and thesecond location information correspond to each other (e.g., they match),then the server computer may authenticate the financial credit cardpayment transaction. The method of Hammad does not teach registering ageographical location of a voter's postal mail delivery address prior toan election wherein the geographical location consists of longitude andlatitude coordinates and storing the resultant registration data in acomputer server. It does not teach voting system and methods and insteadis directed to financial transaction processing methods. Instead, Hammad2009/0187492 describes using GPS function of mobile device toauthenticate, but in that case the mobile device has to be in the samelocation more or less to a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal when the deviceis used for a sale transaction. The teaching of verifying that a mobiledevice is where it is supposed to be geographically to carry out atransaction is known. The instant invention for an internet-based mobilevote transaction verified by postal mail delivery address instead of asale is unobvious and produces unpredictable results. The instantapplication also differs in requiring registration of the geographicallocation of the voter's postal address prior to an election. Hammaddoesn't require any pre-registration since the Hammad transaction is notcarried out at the mobile device owner's home or registered postal mailaddress in a computer server system.

U.S. Publication 20090149192 by Vargus teaches a device locate servicewhere the GPS feature in mobile phones can be used to locate or remotemanage mobile devices such that when the device is misplaced, the devicelocate service can communicate and provide GPS location signal for amethod to disable the device and locate it.

Internet voting using a mobile phone device has also been previouslydiscussed in the Republic of Estonia, a country in Northern Europe. In2007, Estonia became the world's first country to allow voters in anational parliamentary election to cast their ballots over the Internet.To vote, Estonians put their identification card, which has anelectronic chip on it, into a reader attached to their computer and thenenter two passwords. The votes are then encrypted for security andopened by the national election committee using a “private key” onElection Day. The Estonian method has not been adopted in any othercountry because of certain problems with exclusive use of SIM cards forauthentication, among which are the fact that the SIM cards arecontrolled by cellular network carriers and have limited web servicesprocessing capabilities.

Numerous other prior art and authentication technique with a consumerdevice such as a mobile phone or Smartphone is typically applied as acaller ID function of the home phone number or other biometric datafunction when a consumer calls their local cable company to enquire orto pay a bill. Such automated systems know automatically that a call isfrom that person's account based on the phone number transmitted by thephone device that is captured by a Caller ID method at a cable company.Similarly, new credit cards sent by postal mail must often be activatedby calling from one's home number on record in the database of the cardissuer. Under these methods it is relatively possible to change thephone identification number that is shown in a Caller ID function toanother number for the purpose of misleading or conducting a fraudulentauthentication method. Caller ID methods suffer from certaindisadvantages when applied to mobile device voting authentication. Forexample, not all mobile devices allow caller identification by therecipient, and second, the voter may have more than one mobile deviceand would have to register the phone number for each of them so thevoting system would recognize each device.

In contrast to current Caller ID methods, there are no known methods fora device user to modify the GPS data coordinate transmission processeswithout disabling the entire GPS data sensor that would render one ormore of instant method teachings by Klein to become inoperable.Therefore, the recent technological achievements in the ability of thelatest consumer devices to determine and report cell tower triangulationgeolocation data coordinates, together with other identity data over theinternet, creates a significantly more trustworthy method to enable avoting process with a consumer device associated with the latitude andlongitude data matching to a pre-registered Postal Service mail addressdata distance range to perform a novel and unpredictable voting method.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the objective of improving on voter authentication methods andsystems to facilitate voting in an election by a voter using a mobiledevice such as a mobile telephone over a cellular phone network orsimilar wireless communication device network wherein the electionauthorities use a computer system to receive, authenticate, and countvotes, I have discovered a computer-implemented method forauthenticating a mobile device for electronic voting over the internetcomprising

a. storing a geographical location of a voter's postal mail deliveryaddress prior to an election, wherein the geographical locationcomprises longitude and latitude coordinates, in a database stored in acomputer server to which an election authority has access;

b. upon receiving from a mobile device at the computer server aninternet vote by the voter in the election and the geographical locationof the device, determining whether the geographical location of themobile device is within a predetermined distance from the registeredgeographical location for the voter by cell tower triangulationgeolocation (“A-GPS” or “Assisted-GPS”); and

c. if the geographical location of the mobile device is not within thepredetermined distance from the registered postal address for the voter,rejecting the internet vote.

In another aspect, the invention comprises a computer system forauthenticating votes received from a voter's mobile device comprising acomputer programmed with a set of computer-readable instructions and adatabase stored in a computer readable medium, the database comprising aregistered voter and a geographical location for the registered voter,means to receive a vote in an election over a cellular or wirelessnetwork, means to determine the geographical location of a device whichtransmitted the vote over the network, and means to reject the vote ifthe geographical location of the device which transmitted the vote isnot within a predetermined distance from the geographical location forthe registered voter stored in the database.

Authentication and verification techniques can be combined andtransmitted by a wireless consumer device to create an improved, moreconvenient, trustworthy and reliable voting method by virtue ofsupplemental and automated authentication data capture and cell towertriangulation geolocation data sensing receiver and reporting combinedwith internet access vote processing applications that can be uploadedor downloaded into many consumer devices. This computer-readable datacan be transmitted by the device to a computer server that can captureand compare data in a server to better authenticate a voter and relatedvote cast by an individual voter using an internet-connected consumerdevice for internet voting.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to authenticating andverifying a portable consumer device and individual voter used toconduct a voting event over the internet by cell tower triangulationdata communication function and computer server database comparison inthe context of voting systems. The portable consumer device isauthenticated based on location data coming from at least two differentsources. For example, first location information may be received from amobile communication device possessed by a consumer and second locationinformation may be received from a voter registration database operatedby a voting authority conducting the voting process and tabulation ofresults. If the first location information and the second locationinformation correspond to each other (e.g., they match), then the servercomputer may authenticate the vote event. In some embodiments, themobile communication device may be the portable consumer device. Inother embodiments, the mobile communication device may be separate fromthe portable consumer device. For example, the portable consumer devicecould be a SIM card module that can be inserted into the portableconsumer device to provide voter authentication and software processingapplications for voting using the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art of an internet voting method.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the embodiments of the inventive votingmethod, according to the consumer device data sensor(s), computer serverand location capabilities of the consumer wireless device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the various device routines executed by awireless consumer communication device that enable the votingauthentication method and provide voters in general with a consumerinternet enabled device method and in particular, to provide computerimplemented routines to assist those voters with disabilities.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating the location-based authenticationmethod for denying authentication of a mobile communication device and avote processing event based on GPS information reported by theindividual voter using a consumer device in accordance with embodimentsof the present invention to perform according to an aspect. The diagramdistinguishes from prior art by authenticating a voter with a consumerdevice at a specific postal location registered and stored in a matchingremote computer data server to identify cell tower geolocation of thedevice and to authenticate or deny a vote after initiating a votingapplication on the device.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of some components of a mobilecommunication device that may be used as a computer data authenticationdevice to enable voting authentication and processes by using the imagecapture camera sensor data in combination with the mobile device and awebpage image retrieved from an internet browser screen to process avote with a printed or an on-screen displayed durable computer-readablemedium.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary illustration of various SIM card data moduleapplication modules at a mobile device, according to variousimplementations of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a consumer device configured to scan a Microsoft® Tag foruse in internet voting with an image capture application on the mobileconsumer device, under an embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a method supporting the durablecomputer-readable identifier of the Microsoft® Tag image capture andrecognition processing between a consumer device and a server via anetwork coupling, in a PC based application where the tag images aredisplayed on a PC screen for capture and wireless transmission, under anembodiment.

FIG. 9 shows transmission of a Microsoft® Tag to a server for processingin interactive voting applications over the internet and mobile device,under an embodiment.

FIG. 10 shows connection to URLs via a decoded Microsoft® Tag ininteractive voting applications over the internet and mobile device,voting under an embodiment.

FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of alternative data sensor components in aconsumer device that may be used to read a durable computer-readableidentifier in the form of a Near-Field communication (“NFC”) tag orlabel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the prior art 100 method where a voting authority oradministrator 108 provides a voter ballot online in a web file. The fileis often served from a web URL or other download web site as a PDF filefor printout by the voter over the internet 102. Typically, a PCcomputer device is the preferred method of prior art ballot delivery;however it is possible to deliver this same PDF voter ballot file 109over internet and onto a consumer device 50. As an option, the form maybe downloaded or accessed from a consumer device 50 on the device'sbrowser-based viewing screen 52. The individual voter 14 enters data onthe ballot 15 to vote using the device with limited authenticationtechniques or mails back the printed and filled in ballot form, that mayinclude handwritten signature, by Postal Service mail; or, may deliveror deposit at a polling location if printed on a computer printerdevice.

FIG. 2 provides a high-level schematic overview of the inventive method50 for wireless consumer device voter selection based on devicelocation. Thus, the system may be self-contained within wireless device52 or the method may additionally include network application APIsoftware from a remote computer and database server 54, which is incommunication with the wireless device through wireless network 18. Thenetwork database server device 54 may be included in system 50 as asource for the selected voter executing application 20 software or, inthose aspects in which the user's content request 28, the network device54 may serve as the source for the requested content 32. Additionally,the network device 54 may be used to assist in the determination of thelocation of the wireless device by comparing to a Postal Service GPSaddress coordinates. Such coordinates are stored in server 54 which mayinclude a home Postal Service address, or other addresses entered by avoting authority or administrator as permissible addresses forauthentication of voting process on the device 52.

Similar to the aspect described in relation to FIG. 1, the wirelessdevice 52 implements one of a plurality of voter ballot accessapplications that provides for presentation of voter ballot or voterselection choice content by voter 14. In this regard, the plurality ofapplication may include one or more voter-executing applications 20 thatexecute or present voter content 22.

Additionally, the plurality of applications implemented on the wirelessdevice 52 may include voter-requesting application 28 that provide foruser-inputted vote requests 30 or requests alternate durable computerreadable network content 32 in reply to the request. In addition, thecontent 32 that is presented in durable computer readablecontent-requesting application 28 from a data sensor electronicallyreading data from an active pixel sensor camera 26 or a Microsoft™ Tagand/or NFC tag(s) read as a durable computer readable medium forinventive voting process 50.

Additionally, wireless device 52 may include a location determinationmodule 38 operable for determining the geographic location of thewireless device 52. The location determination module 38 may provide forsatellite-based location determination 190, terrestrial or network-basedlocation determination or a hybrid location determination including bothsatellite and terrestrial based location determination.

According to some implementation of the invention 50, a suitableconsumer device 52, shown as a Smartphone in the FIG. 2, requires theability to “geocode,” that is to take a text based Postal Service mailstreet address and turn that into a latitude and longitude using aremote computer database server 54 and the built-in data sensor 52. Adatabase server with access to incoming cell tower triangulationgeolocation 190 can then determine quite easily if the latitude andlongitude reported by the device is within a specified distance of thelatitude and longitude of the Postal Service mail address. Thisgeocoding functionality is incorporated into a computer server 54 forvoting applications herein described 50. The server 54 includes a MapTPWeb Services API installed in the server to determine if geographicallocation data coordinates match the database 54 in the computer serverfor voter 14 to be authenticated to perform a voting application on thedevice 52.

FIG. 3 provides a block diagram of various voting access and methodroutines that may be executed on the targeted wireless communicationdevice 14 in response to detection of and after confirmation of celltower triangulation latitude and longitude data coordinates receivedcommunication data packet. As shown, in FIG. 2, the targeted wirelesscommunication device includes adaptive devices for people's disabilities31 and may be operable to execute a geographic location determiningroutine 22, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) locationdetermining routine, an image capture routine 24 and/or an audio captureroutine 26 in cases where a voter is blind and requires assistance inthe form of text to speech translation on the device with audio captureroutine 26. Additional routines by NFC data transfer 27 routines, otherlocating related routines 32, including A-GPS, input application devicevote data entry routine 28 so voter may select an vote entry and/ormultiple entries of vote selections on the device 14 and SIM card datamodule 30 to perform voting applications by integrating the data andcomputing tools from the SIM card module. The results of these routines,geographic location data, image data and/or audio data may then becommunicated back to the user/owner via a web interface, a networkentity, such as a physical voter polling location or provider, theadministrator or voting authority conducting the vote and/or any otherrelevant entity for analysis. Geographic location data 22 and 32provides the ability to confirm the cell tower triangulation geolocationof the device at time of voting.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for authenticating amobile communication device based on locations of the mobilecommunication device and a voter where the voter is intending to entervote selections using the consumer device.

Before the voter initiates the voting process, the voter authenticateshimself to the mobile communication device (step 200). The consumer mayauthenticate himself to the mobile communication device in a variety ofdifferent ways. Exemplary authentication mechanisms include entering apersonal identification number (PIN), entering a challenge response orby any other method of verifying consumer identity to the mobilecommunication device, including data from a voter registration recordthat enabled voter to register to vote in advance of a specific vote orballet vote selection process.

After the voter authenticates himself to the mobile communicationdevice, the mobile communication device or a SIM card is used toinitiate the casting of a vote application (step 210) at the home PostalService mailing address GPS coordinates or other conforming GPS PostalService mailing address GPS location or range from that location.Permission or authentication to vote may also be dependent upon time ordate parameters of the voting system, and the like stored in a rules andpermissions server database and associated with the voter and/or votingprocess.

The voting authority provides the permissible GPS address locationinformation to the computer server (step 220) where it is stored formatching by exact location or range within (i.e., permitted location maybe within 2 miles radius of the GPS location address stored in the voterserver and related database). The device cell tower triangulationgeolocation information may identify the location of the voter at thetime of vote or may include alternate GPS address locations such as theGPS coordinates of a polling location where voters can choose to votewith or without a consumer device.

The mobile communication device provides the voter location informationto the processing network (step 230). Thus, the processing network mayidentify the voting location where the vote is being initiated by themobile communication device.

The location of the mobile communication device is identified using aglobal positioning system (step 240). The global positioning systemprovides the cell tower triangulation location of the mobilecommunication device to the voter database and remote computer serverprocessing network.

A determination is made whether the location of the mobile communicationdevice corresponds to the voter's pre-designated Postal Service maillocation (step 250). The vote casting and serving network considers themobile communication device to be authentic when the voter locationcorresponds to the cell tower triangulation geolocation (or locationsand/or radius there from) of the mobile communication device. Forexample, when the mobile communication device is identified as being inthe same location as the voter's home Postal Service mailing address(i.e., the address matching a driver's license or address at which avoter is typically registered to vote, the voting processing networkauthenticates the transaction (step 260). Similar matching can beperformed at a business address if the vote is for proxy or union voteelections where the home address may not be the relevant GPS locationstored in the computer server database.

The vote processing network may determine that the mobile communicationdevice is not authentic when the voter location does not correspond tothe Postal Service mailing location of the mobile communication devicebased on cell tower triangulation geolocation and other data comparisonsand matching in a remote computer data server (step 280). For example,when the mobile communication device is identified as being at adifferent location from the voter home address, the vote processingnetwork does not process the transaction because the transaction is notauthentic (step 270). The voter 290 is notified accordingly by email,SMS or on-screen browser message delivered over the internet on thedevice screen that parameters in rules and permissions database server(step 280), or other GPS data matching to Postal Service mail address donot match with the database server (step 280) and therefore anauthenticated vote on the device cannot be made using the consumerdevice at this time. Authentication processing may then terminate, ormay proceed in another manner (e.g., in-person at a designated physicalpolling location for the vote).

FIG. 5 shows a second illustrative embodiment of the web-enabled votingmethod of the present invention. As shown, the image sensor device 20comprises: a mobile image capturing and processing wireless/mobileconsumer device 110 for the digital image capture and processing ofhandwritten signature documents 11, including state driver's license,state ID card, government-issued ID cards, passports and the like, atthe point of voting in accordance with the method of the presentinvention, and transmitting such digital image files 14 (via a wirelesscommunication link) to a remote image data capture computer server 111,and then from the image data capture server 111 to image processingapplication servers maintained on the voting database server network 112(via a second web communication link), that can support a handwrittensignature voter image application storage and reference database methodto further verify and authenticate a voter by the paper-verifiablemethod for post-election voting audit by comparing paper-based signaturerecords. In alternate embodiments, a separate card can be signed andreturned to the voting authority mail to the Postal Service mailingaddress complete with hand-written signature 16 verification of votingprocesses and ballots. Alternatively, the image file 13 can accesslocation 15 data from the device 110 to provide cell tower triangulationgeo location data together with image files sent over internetinfrastructure to computer server 111 and voting database servers 112.

FIG. 6 According to some implementations of the invention, aportable/removable integrated circuit card (ICC), such as, for example,a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card may be utilized for voter anddevice authentication with the computer-implemented voting method.

According to some implementations of the invention, and with referenceto FIG. 6, voter 102 may use a consumer mobile device 600 with a SIMcard 630, where the SIM card 630 may implement various features of thecomputer-implemented voting method. In these implementations, the SIMcard 630 may additionally include among other information, theinformation included in the SIM card described above (for example,voter's registration record identification-related information, voter'sPostal Service mail address information, voter's GPS home locationlatitude and longitude information, voter's International MobileEquipment Identity (IMEI) data (by using the Provide Local Informationcode command, and/or other voter or device information). The SIM card630 may also include the electronic forms associated with fill-in voterballot download or on-device display screen ballot viewing or voteselection processes.

According to some implementations of the invention, when voter 102 withthe mobile device 600 that includes the SIM card 630, visits a pollingplace 105 for on-premises voting 105 may access the SIM card 630 toobtain the voter information associated with the voter, retrieveelectronic forms associated with voter registration or ballot formatcompliant voter selection forms, and/or other voting information. Thismay be accomplished via various wired or wireless communications linksassociated with the mobile device 600 in which the SIM card 630operates. This may also be accomplished by reading the SIM card 630directly (e.g., by removing the SIM card 630 from the mobile device 600and inserting (i.e., “hot swapping” a different SIM card 630 into thedevice 600 or a reader at the polling place 105. The obtained voterinformation may be used to generate ballot compliant voting form(s)between a polling place location 105 and voter 106 with SIM card.

In some implementations of the invention, as depicted in FIG. 6, mobiledevice 600 may be configured to run an application (not shown) stored ina memory at the mobile device 600 comprising one or more JavaCardapplication modules that may enable various features and functionalityof the invention. For example, the one or more software modules 612 mayperform functions including one or more of: accessing SIM cards 630,updating voter information on the SIM card and remote server 618,generating voter ballot forms for internet voting on the device, orother functions.

According to various implementations of the invention, these applicationmodules may include one or more of a third-party service Mobile SensorAPI software and communication interaction module 610, SIM cardaccessing module 612, device identity generating module 614, SIM cardinteraction module 616, server update module 618, or other modules 620.

According to some implementations of the invention, voter 102 mayutilize the mobile device 600 to connect to third-party service APIsoftware and communication application 110 and generate requests toobtain the initial voter information provided at either a polling place106, or voter's home Postal Service Mail address reported by GPScoordinates 108, or both to third-party service API software 110, viathird-party service API software application interaction module 610. Anysuitable wireless communication links may be used to connect the mobiledevice 600 to third-party service API software application 110.Third-party service API software application 110 may receive therequests for initial voter information and in response may retrieve theinitial voter information from internet database 106, and provide theretrieved information to voter's 102 mobile device 600. Third-partyservice API software application interaction module 610 may receive theinitial voter information from third-party service API softwareapplication 110 and store obtained voter information data, ballot or API610 in the SIM card 630 included in the mobile device 600.

In this diagram, we have a Smartphone 600 consumer device handsetconnected to the internet by a web-based browser capable to receive anyHTTP/HTTPS and html internet database 106 content for viewing on aconsumer device. The method provides a novel approach is to use a SmartCard Web Server from the SIM toolkit for voting by putting thoseHTTP/HTTPS and html web pages on the SIM card 630. According to thisimplementation, the SIM card can store specific content related to voteor voting with the consumer device handset can support theimplementation. So instead of sending on the handset a website from aURL request in the device's browser, the webpage action is performed byan agent 614 receiving the HTML/HTTPS content from the SIM card. So therequest to initiate a vote is sent to the SIM card by the voter usingthe device and the SIM card fetches the appropriate contents from theinternet. Included with this inventive method is data provided by SIMbased services with pictures, midlets, files, everything alreadydeployed on web browser. The HTTP/HTTPS voter related content isassembled and resolved by the SIM card 630, not the web browser program.

In some implementations of the invention, third-party service APIsoftware application interaction module 610 may provide voter's 102updates (additions, deletions, changes, and/or other updates) to theinitial voter information in SIM card 630 to the third-party service APIsoftware application 110. Third-party service API software applicationinteraction module 610 may provide updates associated with voter'schosen API software applications 110, voter identity-related informationassociated with voter 102, and/or other voter information. The SIM cardimplements the interaction using a SIM card programming software methodknown as Smart Card Sever Interaction using SCWS technology. Theapplication may be via Over the Air (OTA) by using the SIM Allianceloader. Further, the SIM card IMEI is read by using the Provide LocalInformation (ETSI TS 102 223) command and user typically needs a PIN orpassword to download software to the SIM card. Gemalto® is one of themanufactures of a SIM card that uses Smart Card Web Server technology toimplement mobile applications such as voting in the SIM card with SCWStechnology. A SCWS-compatible handset and SIM card also enablesdeployment of secure services with standard Web technology by leveraginginherent smart card security features making them especially beneficialfor a voter application using an internet method.

In some implementations of the invention, voter 102 may update the voterinformation, for example, voter identity and registration relatedinformation, and/or other information, included in the SIM card 630 bydirectly entering the updated information using the mobile device's dataentry screen or other integrated data entry keyboard. This updatedinformation may be directly communicated to third-party service APIsoftware application 110 via third-party service API softwareapplication interaction module 610. In some implementations, the updatedinformation may be communicated by a PC which in turn may communicatethe updated information to third-party service API software application110. Third-party service API software application 110 may receive andstore the updated voter information in database 106 or in device serverupdate module 618. In some implementations, the updated voterinformation from the voter may be received and stored in the SIM card630 via SIM card interaction module 616.

In some implementations of the invention, voter information may bemaintained at the voter's PC and may be synchronized with the voterinformation on the SIM card 630. Voter 102 may update the voterinformation maintained at the voter's PC. The updated voter informationmay be downloaded from the PC onto the SIM card 630. Then, the updatedvoter information may be communicated to third-party service APIsoftware application 110 by the mobile device 600.

In some implementations, updated voter information from third-partyservice API software application 110 (which may include updates fromother entities, for example, API software applications 110, voter 102,and/or other entities) may be received and stored on the SIM card 630 ofthe mobile device 600 via the third-party service API softwareapplication interaction module 610. In some implementations, the updatedvoter information from third-party service API software application 110may be received by the consumer device. The obtained voter informationmay be downloaded from the consumer device and stored in the SIM card630 included in the mobile device 600.

In some implementations of the invention, third-party service APIsoftware application 110 may comprise corresponding voter interactionmodules (that may enable third-party service API software applications110 to receive requests to obtain voter information from the mobiledevice, retrieve and provide the requested voter information to themobile device 600, receive updates to the voter information from themobile device 618, provide updates to the voter information to themobile device, receive requests to view voter information from themobile device, provide the views of voter information to the mobiledevice, and/or other functions.

According to some implementations of the invention, the mobile device600 may comprise a SIM card accessing module 612 that may access the SIMcard 630 to obtain the voter information, including the electronicballot form(s) associated with voting process, and/or other information.

In some implementations of the invention, API software application 105may update the voter information directly at the remote server 618associated with third-party service API software application 110 viaserver update module 618. In some implementations, a voter polling place105 may update the voter information by synchronizing updates to voterinformation on the SIM card 630 with voter information at the remoteserver accessed by internet database (for example, if a person with adisability needs assistance at the polling place to vote using themobile device with assistive technology tools).

In some implementations, the mobile device 600 may comprise a serverupdate module 618 similar to the server update module 618 of APIsoftware application 610. In some implementations, the server updatemodule 618 may update the voter information at the remote server andsynchronize the voter information, including cell tower triangulationgeolocation coordinate data, on the SIM card 630 with the voterinformation at the remote internet database server 106.

In some implementations of the invention, the application described withrespect to FIG. 6 may be resident on the SIM card 630 and mobile device600 may be configured to run the application resident on SIM card 630.The application and the voter information may be stored in separateareas of the SIM card.

In some implementations of the invention, the SIM card can be removedfrom the consumer device after a voting process and sent by PostalService mail 640 to a voting authority or vote administrator, includinga handwritten signature method with legal declaration 640 to certify andattest to the voting process using the internet database 106 and mobiledevice. In such case, the SIM card may be returned together with asignature card or other paper-based form that serves as apaper-verifiable record of the vote and also a means to audit the voteelectronically from the SIM card included in a pocket of the returnPostal Service mail 640 data if needed to supplement or re-affirm aninternet based vote from the device to better enable a post-electionaudit verification process or response to resolve a vote authenticationchallenge.

FIGS. 7 -10 shows a process flow for an individual voter with a consumerdevice configured to scan a Microsoft® Tag for use in a internet-basedvoting application from consumer device targeting and capturing adigital image of the Tag displayed on a computer screen monitor, whensuch monitor receives voting content at a designated IP address or URL,under an embodiment;

FIG. 7 shows a consumer device configured to digitally capture aMicrosoft® Tag image 60, under an embodiment. The consumer (i.e.,mobile) device 10 is operated by a voter 20 and includes and processesall applications corresponding to Microsoft® Tag 60 data recognitionactivities. These applications include image capture camera application30 (e.g., by active-pixel sensor) using consumer device 50 cameraapplication for scanning (or to “Snap It”) application using one or moreMicrosoft.Tag(s) displayed over the internet onto a computer screen 40displaying Microsoft.Tag 60, but the applications are not so limited.

In an embodiment, Microsoft® Tag 60 recognition processing is performedvia a consumer device coupled to a server via a network to provideinteractive voting by the consumer device in combination with a separatePC, and related PC display monitor screen 40, displaying the image(s) ofa Microsoft® Tag for voter capture and selection using the separatemobile consumer device. In these embodiments, voters use localprocessing devices (e.g., consumer devices) to communicate via one ormore networks (e.g., Internet, wireless networks, wired networks, etc.)with a server supporting Microsoft® Tag recognition activities andexercises.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a system supporting Microsoft® Tag 60recognition processing between a consumer device 61 and a server via anetwork coupling, under an embodiment. The system includes a servernetwork 140 supporting Microsoft® Tag recognition. The network 140includes, for example, a mobile infrastructure 130 comprising a consumerdevice 100 coupled or connected to one or more of wired networks,wireless networks, the Internet, and other network types 130 over whichcommunication can occur. Numerous voters using a fixed or mobile devicecamera 100 can each communicate with a an electronic PC screen display120 supporting Microsoft® Tag recognition services via the networkserver environment 140, for example. In an embodiment, a voter 100 isusing a mobile phone, personal digital assistant, personal computer,work station, or other device capable of scanning Microsoft® Tags via adurable computer-readable identifier in the form of a Microsoft® Tag(s)60 by a voter using the consumer device 61 with fixed or mobile cameradevice and communicating via the network 140, but is not so limited.

In a further alternate embodiment, a voter uses the device's camera toscan the Microsoft® Tag 60 for digital recognition for interactivevoting, over the mobile infrastructure 130, with software applicationsthat support the processing of Microsoft® Tags that can request that thesoftware for reading the Microsoft.Tag 60 be downloaded or otherwiseserved from a remote computer server request on the PC device 120 andinstalled to the voter's consumer device 61 at the time a votersubscribes to the internet voting method. These downloaded applicationsare subsequently run on the consumer device 61 during the execution ofthe Microsoft® Tag recognition and associated vote selection process.

When a voter operating the voter wishes to communicate with the serverfor Microsoft® Tag recognition activities, the voter scans theMicrosoft® Tag of the VoterTags® or electronic display 150 of one ormore Microsoft® Tags and transfers the displayed Microsoft® Tag(s), orcauses the Microsoft® Tag to be transferred, to the server by PC device120 that supports Microsoft® Tag recognition software application anddownload processing. A browser running on the consumer device 100 willestablish a coupling or connection to the mobile wireless networkinfrastructure 130 (e.g., a W-CDMA, Transmission ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) coupling or connection).

Information and messages are broken down into smaller pieces, orpackets, to be transmitted from a source to a destination. The protocolbreaks down and reassembles the packets, while ensuring the packets aretransmitted to the proper destination. Each packet is given a headerthat contains a variety of information, including the order in which thepacket is to be reassembled with other packets for the same transmittedmessage or information. Each packet is put into a separate IP envelopefor transmission over the internet 130. The IP envelopes containaddressing information that direct the internet 130 to IP data or URLdestination address. All IP envelopes containing packets for the sametransmitted message or information have the same addressing information,in order that they are all transmitted to the same destination location,and thereafter, properly reassembled. Each IP envelope also contains aheader that includes information such as the source, or voter's PostalService mail, address, the date and time of the vote, and the amount oftime the packet should be maintained before being discarded, etc.

In an embodiment of a Microsoft® Tag recognition activity forinteractive voting, a voter requests, via their PC device 120 withdisplay screen or consumer device 61, an XML (eXtensible MarkupLanguage) file comprising a web page for use in a Microsoft® Tagfunction. The Microsoft® Tag function of an embodiment includes aMicrosoft® Tag processing exercise from the server supporting Microsoft®Tag recognition. The Microsoft® Tag function of an embodiment alsoincludes use of the URL from the decoded Microsoft® Tag to return amultimedia object or web page to the consumer. The proper XML file isreturned to the consumer from the server, via the Internet or wirelessnetwork, and the consumer's browser displays the text, graphics andmultimedia data of the file on the PC device 120 consumer's screen. Thevoter may then perform various vote or voter registration or votingprocesses at the direction of the displayed web page.

In order to support Microsoft® Tag recognition processing forinteractive voting via the Internet or wireless network, a voteraccesses the Microsoft® Tag recognition program on the device or aserver, which may or may not be remotely located from the consumer. Thevoter then scans the Microsoft® Tag using the consumer device and inresponse to the scanning, receives a response or feedback from theserver. Responsive feedback from the Microsoft® Tag recognition programmay be in the form of text, graphics, audio, audio/visual, or somecombination of these but is not so limited.

As described above with reference to FIG. 8, in an internet servernetwork 140 supporting Microsoft® Tag recognition, numerous voters 100with fixed or mobile device camera are configured to communicate with aPC device 120 and server supporting Microsoft® Tag identifierrecognition services, e.g., for voting via the Internet or wirelessnetwork 130. In an embodiment, in order to support Microsoft® Tagrecognition processing for respective voters 100, the server 120executes a Microsoft® Tag processing thread.

FIG. 9 shows transmission of Microsoft® Tag data to a server forprocessing in interactive internet voting applications, under anembodiment. An embodiment of Microsoft® Tag recognition processing forinteractive voting begins when a voter 200 scans a Microsoft® Tag 60using his/her consumer device. The Microsoft® Tag includes informationor indications of a command for a location on the web or a server thatthe voter wishes to access. The consumer device decoder 420 sends theMicrosoft® Tag captured image data request to the server supporting theMicrosoft® Tag processing application and the URL from the decodedMicrosoft® Tag 430 via the network.

In response to transmission of the Microsoft® Tag by the voter, thevoter receives an XML file 450 comprising a web page from the server foruse in an internet-based vote activity, and the consumer device 205displays the text, graphics and multimedia data of the file to the voter200. When the voter thereafter selects a Microsoft® Tag via thedisplayed web page, a script associated with the selected exerciseactivates a browser component.

In an embodiment, a text response is returned to the voter from theserver, which is displayed on a portion of the screen already displayingthe current web page for the activity accessed by the voter. In analternative embodiment, an entirely new XML page 450 is returned fromthe server 440, which is displayed as a new web page to the voter, viathe consumer screen on the mobile device 410.

Generally, the Microsoft® Tag processing thread is configured to acceptMicrosoft® Tag data packets from a consumer, decode the Microsoft® Tag60, and transmit a response, or appropriate feedback to the voter. TheMicrosoft® Tag processing thread is configured to perform each of thesefunctions as the appropriate data becomes available to it, therebyeliminating any latencies that normally accrue when each of thesefunctions is performed in a pipeline function, wherein processing of onefunction is required to complete before beginning other processingtasks.

FIG. 10 shows connection to URLs via a decoded Microsoft® Tag ininteractive voting applications, under an embodiment. A Microsoft® Tagreceived by a consumer device is decoded 320 and transferred to a serverwhere it is processed or analyzed by voting application (e.g., electionballot XLM processing and URL application), or interactive API softwarevoting application. The application communicates through the network(e.g., internet 340) to access and exchange information with URLs 350hosting a variety of vote selection and specific ballot vote selectioncontent choice options. In an embodiment of a Microsoft® Tag processingthread 320, a coupling or connection (e.g., TCP/IP connection) isestablished for a voter 310 wishing to access the server 330. Inresponse to the voter scanning a Microsoft® Tag 60 with the consumer310, a consumer browser component is activated after server andMicrosoft® Tag image reader program has been downloaded 325 or otherwisepreviously installed onto the consumer device, and the consumer devicebrowser initiates and establishes the connection with the server. Theconnection established with the server includes connection or directionto a particular exercise or vote selection recording in the server 330corresponding to the scanned Microsoft® Tag.

The URL 350 associated with one or more Microsoft® Tag 60 can representone or more vote selections on a topic for voting representing a “Yes,”“No,” “Undecided,” or similar vote selection option such as the name ofa candidate running for board of director, union leadership council,television performer, teacher of the year competition, etc.

FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of some components of a mobilecommunication device 500. The mobile communication device 500 maycomprise a durable computer readable medium 510 and a consumer device520. In this alternate embodiment, the computer readable medium 510 maybe a Near-field communication (“NFC”) tag, an alternate form of adurable computer-readable identifier that stores data and may be in anysuitable form including a label or tag.

The mobile communication device 500 may further include a contactlesselement 530, that is typically implemented in the form of asemiconductor chip (or other data storage element) with an associatedwireless transfer (e.g., data transmission) element, such as an antenna.Data or control instructions transmitted via a mobile communicationscarrier network may be applied to the contactless element 530 by acontactless element interface (not shown). The contactless elementinterface functions to permit the exchange of data and/or controlinstructions between the mobile device circuitry (and hence the mobilenetwork) and the contactless element 530. For reference, the NFC mobilereading circuit can be included with the SIM card described in FIG. 6.

The contactless element 530 is capable of transferring and receivingdata using a near field communications (“NFC”) capability (or near fieldcommunications medium) typically in accordance with a standardizedprotocol or data transfer mechanism (e.g., ISO 14443/NFC). Near fieldcommunications capability is a short-range communications capability,such as RFID, Bluetooth™, infra-red, or other data transfer capabilitythat can be used to exchange voter data between the mobile communicationdevice 500, or it can be used to exchange voter data between the mobilecommunication device 500 and the polling place location noted byreference 105 in FIG. 6 . Thus, the mobile communication device 500 iscapable of communicating and transferring voter ballot data and/or voterauthentication instructions via both mobile carrier network (i.e.,Verizon® or T-Mobile® wireless) and near field communicationscapability.

The mobile communication device 500 may also include a processor 540(e.g., a microprocessor) for processing the functions of the mobilecommunication device 500 and a display 550 to allow the consumer to viewvoter ballot associated with voting that may be selected and other voterinformation and messages. The mobile communication device 500 mayfurther include input elements 560 to allow a voter to input informationinto the mobile communication device 500, a speaker 570 to allow thevoter to hear voice communication, text-to-speech reading of the ballotcontents, etc., and a microphone 580 to allow the voter to transmitvoice through the mobile communication device 500 to vote in the eventthey have a disability and require such assistance to vote. The mobilecommunication device 500 may also include an antenna 590 for wirelessdata transfer (e.g., data transmission) over the internet.

A method for voters to use a consumer device such as a mobilecommunication device or a mobile phone to authenticate themselves andvote just as they would in a polling place for a local, state ornational election event in the voter's home jurisdiction. Thecomputer-based method also keeps a handwritten signature paper datarecord, verifiable by the voter with the voter's handwritten signatureto confirm they voted by the internet method, which is sent back usingPostal Service mail to voting authority, voting officials, or otherwisedeposited by voter at a physical voter polling location after theelections have been made on the device, enabling a post-election auditwith a paper-verifiable record. The method applies data captured andsent wirelessly by the device applying data from data sensors such aslocation data, and an active-pixel sensor (APS) camera image capture ofa durable computer readable medium, to create a new trustworthy votingmethod by consumer device with a paper-verifiable trail across theinternet.

The availability of small, low-cost, and low-power CMOS image datasensors with active-pixel sensor, GPS receiver chipsets, portableconsumer device mobile phones, and internet database servers that can beaccessed wirelessly over wireless mobile network carriers combine tocreate a method to enable new consumer device and mobile voting methods.As a result, different computer applications and methods have emergedthat work with a mobile communication device and their related softwareapplication program interfaces (APIs) and user device interaction thatenable the instant method of voting with trustworthy voterauthentication.

The current invention is directed to novel cyber-physical methods forvoter and election related database verification services, image datacapture and reporting, and location sensor data to include onlinecommunications and database reporting services that link to and run inparallel with physical Postal Service sent mail to verify and permit atrustworthy voting process to be performed by computer server methodsover the internet using a consumer device.

The method, in part, performs a mobile device voter process accessibleto a wider range of voters, including those with disabilities who cannoteasily visit physical polling locations, to enable what is in essence anew mobile device authentication and internet transmission method forwhat is often referred to as an absentee ballot voting process.

The new method helps transform voting for people with or withoutdisabilities by combining the security and trust of Postal Service mailwith the convenience of a mobile device. The method helps transform amobile phone or Smartphone into a trustworthy electronic voting devicethat can be used at to vote at a Postal Service home mailing address orat other designated physical location(s) to authenticate the consumerdevice and voter and then process a vote in an election event or anyother voting process from the device including a shareholder proxyvotes, school board election, university student officer election, orpopularity selections for a survey to select entertainers such assingers or other TV performers.

The technological and administrative solutions of the instant method aredesigned to help ensure that all citizens can vote privately andindependently, a requirement of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002(42 U.S.C. §15441). The technology leads to the adoption of a new methodto make voting systems (including paper ballots) more accessible to allvoters and make the entire election process more welcoming andaccessible to individuals with disabilities by allowing voting to takeplace at a home residence or designated polling location as verified, inpart, by cell tower triangulation geolocation data in a consumer deviceand compared to a physical Postal Service mail address by a computerserver database.

The method is further enabled by GPS location coordinate data that canbe made readily accessible to a consumer device over wireless accessusing mobile communication consumer data network carriers andapplication program interfaces (APIs), and SIM card-based Smart Card WebServer using internet connected consumer devices. Providers of celltower triangulation geolocation data that can be integrated to performaccess by internet database lookup and reporting by the instant methodinclude companies such as Navteq®, Alcatel-Lucent®, deCarta® and TeleAtlas® that provide server-side wireless mobile geospatial softwaresolutions to help power the location reporting and analysis functions ofthe instant method with an efficient client/server architecture andprogramming interface using a J2ME API mobile platform with GPS andrelated latitude and longitude data for computer database lookup,comparison and analytic reporting capabilities.

The cell tower triangulation data enables a process known asgeolocation, also called geotagging or geocode that is the practice ofassociating a digital resource with a physical location. Locationinformation is typically given in terms of latitude and longitudecoordinates, which can pinpoint any place on the planet with a highdegree of precision.

Other sorts of digital artifacts—such as sent Postal Service mail in theform voter election information similarly benefit from being includedwith a durable computer readable medium affixed or included on votermail that can be further verified by comparison to cell towertriangulation with location data. With cell tower triangulationgeolocation data coordinate layers of information, voting authoritieshave new abilities to discern correlations between related materials,and take greater advantage of the growing interconnectedness of consumercomputing devices and Mobile Sensor API application methods for deviceand voter authentication. The cell tower triangulation geolocation datafor voting methods creates a new and improved verification tool forvoting on a mobile consumer device when captured by a Mobile Sensor API(Application Program Interface).

A Mobile Sensor API allows Java ME and other software applications tofetch data easily and uniformly from the sensor(s). An API offers aunified way of managing sensors, connected to the mobile devices, andaccess to the sensor data. A sensor is any measurement data source.Sensors are of different types. These can include: GPS, active-pixelsensor (API) using a CMOS camera module that is can capture sensor datain the form of an image in a camera type CMOS device, and physicalsensors such as magnetometers and altimeters.

A Mobile Sensor API provides for sensor detection, sensor connection,fetching data, processing data, push support, and access permissions. Asensor in a mobile device may be connected to an application program forvoting by API, SIM card or a downloadable software program based on ageneral specification focused on communicating with the sensors that areintegrated on a mobile device generally a Java ME device or a devicewith JavaCard SIM device. It can be any type of sensor, including anRFID or Near-field communication (NFC) computer readable medium in theform of an electronic tag reading sensor, a durable computer readablemedium, an active-pixel sensor or, a GPS data sensor. It is alsofeasible to for a device owner to send an SMS message, including thecurrent location coordinates of the device. However, SMS will almostcertainly be more complex and error prone than simply making a dataconnection to a computer database server and sending the informationdirectly (e.g. by using an HTTP connection and POSTing the data).

The main functionality of Mobile Sensor API is to fetch sensor data andmonitor it based on set conditions. The appropriate sensor has to befound or known beforehand in order to use. An application can search fora desired sensor based on an application such as in this case, toprocess to enable voting using the mobile device with cell towertriangulation or other sensor(s) under the method for voter registrationor vote processing. The device registers itself as an applicationprogram associated with the sensor(s) and stores the values in differentintegers reflecting latitude and longitude coordinates. There is also aconstant storing of a URL to the sensor. This URL is specific to thegeolocation in various devices such as in the HTC, Samsung® and SonyEricsson® consumer device phones.

Some sensors are intended for restricted use only, to be used orcontrolled in the manufacturer, mobile carrier network operator, ortrusted party domain applications only, or if the user permits. When theapplication does not have the required permissions, all the foundsensors are still returned but they cannot necessary be opened. Securityand permissions for some methods in a voting based sensor data API canbe performed if the user does not have the permissions needed to performthe action. This device, device user and application(s) from a webserver can specify various permissions to restrict or automatically theusage of some sensors.

In addition to Mobile Sensor API applications, the method takesadvantage of newer global positioning data sensor and reporting systemson mobile devices to allow voters to include a precise location witheach vote made on the phone together with other technology tools, incombination, that include: Near-field Communication (NFC) and SIM cardidentity tools and Postal Service mail. Voting authorities would be ableto set rules and permissions from the data reported by the device andthe data sensors therein to determine whether to accept votes from aparticular device, person or location and on particular dates and times.

Geolocation voting methods can help create worldwide standards forvoting authentication and verification. The data sensor method may alsorely on other data in the device to provide cell tower triangulationgeolocation (also known as “A-GPS” or Assisted-GPS), reverse geocodingfor address linking as options when a GPS sensor is not included in adevice. Such wireless operator network cell sector and cell towersolution are especially useful with older consumer device that may nothave the latest GPS data sensor chipset inside and therefore must relyon cell tower triangulation techniques for geolocation data under themethod.

Beyond GPS based address location data coordinates, the Postal Servicemailing address data of the method can be implemented with a durablecomputer readable medium corresponding to the physical postal mailingaddress or the equivalent. Accordingly, an alternate method tosupplement captured image data from the device with cell towertriangulation data or other text entry input by the consumer devicevoter can also serve to authenticate identity to complete verificationof a voting process with the device.

An example of an alternative durable computer readable medium is a stateissued driver's license, national ID card, or governmental issuedpassport that can contain a handwritten signature or visually printedhome Postal Service address of record. Such data card(s) can be imagedby voter using the device and then applying the captured and recordedimage as computer data input by the method to supplement and serve tofurther verify under state, local, national or international law(s) thatthe voter completed voting process for post-election audit andverifications, as may be required.

The image of the government or state issued identity card can becaptured by an active-pixel sensor or (APS), including the CMOS APS usedmost commonly in mobile Smartphone camera-based consumer devices. Thecaptured identity signature record (e.g., driver's license) byelectronic data image can then serve as a replacement to a requirementto send back a Postal Service mail card or other state or governmentalID form with handwritten signature, as the electronic equivalent of acaptured verification and authentication address, using the data image(with supplemental GPS address location data from consumer device).

The image data captured and sent back may serve as a proxy and digitaldata substitute to a requirement to mail back a physically signed voterauthentication card or absentee or other voting ballot format aftervoting on the device because the card is in essence, being returned indigital image data-based format to a voting authority, as a digital fileusing the method to provide address and handwritten signatureverification(s) electronically transmitted and stored in a computerserver for verification(s).

The method is capable of reading a durable computer readable medium, byexample, with a Microsoft® Tag. A computer-readable Microsoft® Tag is adurable computer readable medium that can be displayed on a browserviewing screen of a PC or desktop computer that is connected tointernet, with an election voting ballot or form: downloaded from orviewed on a URL displaying the computer readable medium (or printedcomputer readable medium added to a Postal Service voting or electionrelated sent mail content) that brings multiple colors or geometricpatterns into the two-dimensional durable computer readable medium withdata coded identifiers that are technically referred to as High CapacityColor Barcodes (HCCBs).

The advanced durable computer readable medium is captured as a digitalimage of HCCBs employs different symbol shapes in geometric patterns andmultiple colors to significantly increase the amount of information thatcan be stored on analog printed media and improve readability on poorlylensed CMOS image sensors on consumer devices such as mobile phones,where image recognition and processing in a mobile communication devicetransmits, by wireless carrier or internet, the durable computerreadable image data of the tag to a website server hosted by Microsoft®or other database server providers to read, convert the image data intoa URL representing vote selection data. Such methods can also utilizegeolocation by including GPS data coordinates, from the mobilecommunication device, for voting processes.

In further embodiments, the mobile communication device is a cameraphone device capable of capturing and transmitting the image of thedurable computer readable medium (i.e., Microsoft™ Tag) displayed fromthe PC or desktop computer viewing screen to the first server aftermobile voter and device user capturing the medium with a CMOS imagesensor using the camera function of the consumer device.

In some of these embodiments, once the server receives the image, theimage is processed by third party software, APIs and database serverlook ups, resulting in the tag image selected acting as a data inputselection to vote on mobile consumer device. Supplemental, reporting ofcorresponding postal mailing address data as reported by GPS locationcoordinates, can be included by the mobile device transmitting the votein conjunction with reading the Microsoft® Tag presented in a 2Ddisplayed format from the PC browser screen; then captured by theconsumer device camera image capture and sensor functionality. Theunique combination of Microsoft® Tag for instant voter access oninternet-connected URL displayed on PC monitor viewing or electronicscreen, with election information and Microsoft® Tag, combine with aserver-based verification code registration that links secure voter coderegistration data with Microsoft® Tags and the security of PostalService mail to create a new reliable election registration and votermethod.

With the use of Smartphones in the hands of people with disabilities,and internet access, it is now possible to use the technology of adurable computer readable identifier in the form of a Microsoft® Tagapplied onto physical postal mailings, to securely cast one's vote fromtheir consumer device at home or other permitted physical addresscoordinate or range of from GPS physical address coordinates programmedfor acceptance by a computer server accessed by internet through theconsumer device. While specific latitude and longitude address locationsare presented in this specification, the other voter identity andauthentication techniques using mobile consumer device sensor methodsand teachings mentioned above should also be considered.

In sharp contrast, by adding the authentication and trustworthinessmethods, the instant technology platform can combine and compare bycomputer server database methods the registration data and data sensorlinking features of the a durable computer readable identifier such asthe Microsoft® Tag with the security of microchip tags applied ontoPostal Service envelopes or postcards to create a new voter serviceplatform for the disabled. This service makes it easier to use cellphones to register to vote and cast official ballots. The Votertags®services also create entirely new ways to transform voting in Americaand internationally.

Such new paper-verifiable method enabled with a durable computerreadable medium can permit individuals to conduct secure instant votingfrom Smartphones and other mobile devices by combining U.S. Postal mailwith the internet by using Microsoft® custom Tags in the form of durablecomputer readable identifier, or the application of Near-fieldcommunication (NFC) computer readable technology applied onto sentballot voting postal mail. Generally, electronic voting machines that donot produce a paper record of every vote cast cannot be relied upon byvoting authority or vote administrator to be fully trusted.

The server-based data storage method for internet voting is populated bydata incorporation and overlay of third party databases capturing andstoring GPS sensor and other data received from the consumer device, bywireless connecting over the internet using API applications link andcompare them to physical mailing address data for look up andidentification verification by the inventive method.

Typically, these databases are accessed by TCP/IP or other internetconnectivity to local or remote computer system servers. Remote voteridentification and application Web Services can then be accessed fromcloud computing resources, using by example the Google® Chrome operatingsystem “cloud computing,” model in which programs are not installed on aPC or netbook consumer device but rather are used over the internet andaccessed through a web browser. In such approach, a voter's identity andverification data will also reside on servers across the Internet,rather than exclusively on their consumer device.

Database enablement application program interface (API) performhyperlinking with third party content storage and management servicessuch as those provided by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) issued .Post(dot-post) top-level domain name URLs assigned to and capable ofcorresponding with an individual geolocation Postal Service voter mailaddress GPS data coordinates. [0043] For example, vendors such asZumbox® and Earth Class Mail® maintain internet based postal mailaddress with postal address location related databases that can beaccessed by online server databases and APIs to provide online data linkto physical Postal Service mail address data in their online datastorage systems.

The Zumbox® API includes an electronic link to a database of 150 millionU.S. postal mail addresses—virtually every physical address in theUnited States. The Zumbox® service enables automated access to sendingintended physical postal mail via Zumbox® that represents a digital pipeinto each street address in the United States based on physical PostalService street addresses (i.e., USPTO Main Campus, Madison Building(East), 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Va. USA). This address can alsobe represented as an electronic equivalent and computer-readable dataaddress in the form of a URL formatted in a .POST top level domain (TLD)issued under Universal Postal Union (UPI) standards, to provide atrusted environment to serve the information and electroniccommunication service needs of the voting method. Examples of URL basedpostal address using .post TLD including IP addresses such as:“uspto@virginia.us.post”; “600dulanystreet22314@virginia.us.post;32degrees18m23.1N122degrees36s52.5 mw.us.post; or alternatively asDecimal Degrees (DD) expressed latitude and longitude geolocationcoordinates in decimal fractions using a format such as49.5000DD-123.5000DD@gps.us.post to represent the GPS coordinates of apostal mail address represented by IP-based internet accessibleelectronic server data mail address or similar IP-based URL or serveraccess data formats.

Such digital pipe into each street address in the United States orworldwide location based on physical street addresses GPS latitude andlongitude coordinate data, expressed in IP-based decimal degrees thatare offered as a third party API that can be integrated into computerimplemented database methods described herein. The API works using RESTover HTTP internet communication protocols. The term REST stands for“Representational State Transfer” and is a stateless protocol thatincludes the state with every communication. Additionally, REST providesaccess to Web services using HTTP; for internet based database storageclouds, REST would be used to access storage resources as services tomatch postal mail address to matching GPS location(s).

Zumbox® represents one of several third party commercial vendors,including Postal Services, creating digital storage systems thatcorrespond to every street address in a Postal Service delivery region,through which customers, business and government(s) may address, send orreceive digital computer-implemented voter communication over theinternet. So mobile communication device owners (e.g., with mobile phonewireless network consumer device) can receive voter ballots and othervoter registration or voting ballots from: voting authorities,individuals, and companies that send interactive, multimedia voter andelection related voter mail and messages related to an internet votingballot process or to one or more physical or electronic IP-based PostalService mail address by internet methods that can include clickablelinks, and video data files related to the election vote options andselection options by vote using mobile device.

In addition to the Zumbox® database with and application programinterface (API) and application service provider (ASP) models, the USPS®National Database also contains every deliverable mailing address in theUnited States of America. The method can generate an XML code for eachPostal Services mailable address on-the-fly and store and compare thephysical addresses on a business mailer's address data file to this orother Postal Service database, utilizing the database server with thecaptured image or location data to hyperlink and associate an electronicIP-based URL or domain name (e.g., a .POST top-level IP URL or relateddomain web access address) that is identified and corresponding to aconfirmed physical Postal Service mail address as part of the votingmethod.

These aforementioned methods for data verification to enable votingteach a trustworthy and higher level for voter processing verificationof identity then online banking because identity must be verified bymultiple steps tied to Postal Service mail address GPS data coordinateand range permission(s) or other rules (i.e., dates and times forpermitted voting by device method) and other individual identity datapoints that can be set under rules and permissions stored in thecomputer server under control of a voting authority or voteadministrator organization.

Internet connected mobile devices are also important for people withdisabilities. In the last several years, consumer devices such as mobilephones, or Smartphones, have played an ever-increasing role in the livesof people with disabilities as they search for ways to stay involved inelection and voter registration and voting ballot process and find newways to use this increasingly important tool. These mobile phones haveopened up a new world of communication and convenience to voters withdisabilities worldwide that have challenges visiting a polling locationto cast their individual vote in-person, as often required under law.

Section 303(a) of HAVA includes transparency, privacy, and security forvoter registration information, while at the same time meeting thechallenge of real-time authentication of voters during an election byenabling the use of mobile “Smartphone” devices to cast secure votes. BySmartphone I mean consumer devices that have built-in image sensors(e.g., CMOS sensor with lens to act as a camera sensor device) to read adurable computer readable identifier affixed onto official U.S. PostalElection Mail, and other voter election campaign voter related contentsmail, with secure internet connectivity also-built into the consumerdevice.

The iPhone®, Blackberry® and virtually every new mobile phone in theU.S. fall into this category of handy mobile phones which also representthe lifeline tool and assistive device for disabled Americans. Othermanufactures such as INTEL® produce the Intel Reader, a handheld devicefor people who struggle to read standard texts because of conditionssuch as dyslexia and blindness capable of digitizing and transferring avoter ballot adding text-to-speech software.

Before consumer devices such as internet-connected Smartphone's, votingfor candidates in official governmental and other elections by thedisabled required more secure forms of identification and processes tokeep them trustworthy. In part, these legacy, antiquated processesserved to limit people with disabilities from registering to vote orsometimes deciding to go out and vote based on the weather forecastoutside or public health concerns such as the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009that resulted in contingency plans for voter polling in response tohealth warnings and the possibility of people being too ill to travel tophysical polling locations. Therefore, the novel invention can create anentirely new way to vote from one's home Postal Service address, asdetermined by cell tower geolocation data coordinates and supported byother digitally transmitted data, and be counted.

The instant method can transform election events and voting in thisincreasing mobile consumer communication device and digital age. It canmake it simple, convenient and secure to register to vote or officiallyselect and cast one's vote for a candidate or any public issue orquestion brought to a vote without the requirement to visit a physicalpolling location to cast or deposit a physical ballot in the physicalpolling place location to process a vote. The method opens a new anddata verifiable way for people, especially those with disabilities, tovote and be counted with mobile convenience. In addition, the methodsupports mobile consumer Smartphone device convenience for improvedauthentication with cell tower triangulation geolocation authenticationand identity security in absentee ballot processes, typically requiredfor oversees military personnel and others whom are at overseaslocations and therefore unable to visit a local polling place to vote.

This new hybrid electronic voting application bridges physical PostalService election mail ballots and cell tower triangulation geolocationdata with mobile devices for “official” election voting. Therefore, anadditional advantage of the instant method is to add mobile consumerdevice accessibility and convenience to help re-invent antiquated papervoting processes and offer a new option to make any and every officialelection for those individuals with disabilities, simpler to verifytheir identity by data entered, captured and transmitted by consumerdevice selected by an individual to vote and be counted.

In addition, the method supports mobile consumer Smartphone deviceconvenience for improved authentication with cell tower triangulationauthentication and identity security in absentee ballot processes,typically required for oversees military personnel and others whom areat overseas locations and therefore unable to visit a local pollingplace to vote. In addition, other non-governmental voting processes canbe performed from the device including: shareholder proxy vote, schoolboard election, university student officer election, or popularityselections in response to a vote to select entertainers or other TVperformers in combination with the data authentication received frommobile device and compared to voter registration data stored andaccessed form a remote computer server can included.

American Idol® TV reality show voting recently surpassed 66+ millionvotes, mostly from mobile device text votes, exceeding the total numberof votes ever recorded during an election for U.S. President. In thecurrent text message-based American Idol® voting method, one realizesthis is primarily accomplished using mobile phone text messagingservices that allow unlimited voting on any issue by mobile phone. Suchtext based voting has proven to be unreliable and not trustworthy asmultiple votes from an individual or device cannot be controlled andthere is no paper-verifiable trail or trustworthy authentication systemto prevent multiple voting or other fraud. The method can incorporatevoting by mobile device using an SMS message that combines with the celltower triangulation data coordinates and reports both to a third partydatabase server for less-secure voting applications (i.e., not officialgovernmental elections).

For the first time, the method enables trusted voting as simple asvoting for a contestant on American Idol® TV. These steps areaccomplished with the efficiency of mobile consumer device and internet,but the paper ballot data verification record remains the ‘official’vote, that can be sent back to the voting authority or independent voteradministrator of the voting processes using a form of Postal Servicereply-mail, voting postcard, or paper ballot form all with a handwrittenvoter signature that can serve to easily confirm, re-count or re-verifythe electronic internet voting over the consumer device, if necessaryfor audit.

A background understanding of present voter technological andadministrative solutions provides support to the innovative method inimproving prior voting practices, by Internet or other computerimplemented means.

The technological and administrative solutions of the instant method aredesigned to help ensure that all citizens can vote privately andindependently, a requirement of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002(42 U.S.C. §15441). The technology method leads to the adoption of a newmethod to make voting systems (including paper ballots) more accessibleto all voters and make the entire election process more welcoming andaccessible to individuals with disabilities.

A required component of all U.S. official voter registration andabsentee ballot forms is an original signature of the registrant. Thatis, a properly completed voter registration or absentee ballot mustinclude the voter's signature on the physical form itself. The signaturerequirement serves two purposes. First, the signature is the voter'scertification (under penalties of perjury) that the information providedon the form is true to the best of the voter's knowledge and belief. Thesignature is thus intended to increase the likelihood that validinformation is captured on the form. Second, the signature provides amethod for authenticating the identity of the voter at the polling place(usually after the fact). In principle (though often not in practice), avoter's signature when he or she appears at the polling place can becompared to the signature on file if doubts arise about whether thevoter is in fact the person who filled out the voter registration form.More commonly, signatures are used in processing absentee and/or mailballots and for petition verification.

Voter registration databases often integrate an image of votersignatures into their records of registered voters and store originalsignatures that are captured on paper. Handwriting experts—who may beasked to judge whether two signatures are sufficiently similar—havelearned from experience that a signature captured on paper provides moreforensically useful information than the same signature captured only inimage form. For example, the indentations on the paper registration form(indicating hand pressure with which a physical signature is made) canbe compared to the paper signature captured at the polling place—such acomparison is impossible with current technology if the voterregistration signature is available only in image form.

The signature requirement step has one obvious drawback for voterregistration—it makes impossible a voter registration process thatoperates entirely online. In those instances where voters may registerentirely online, some other institution (generally the state'sdepartment of motor vehicles) has on file an original signature capturedon a paper form. (In this case, the signature on file does not providethe voter's certification about the truth of the informationprovided—the electronic submission of such information provides thecertification.)

A thumbnail description of U.S. governmental voter election registrationsuch as for the election of the President of the United States isdescribed below by current election methods.

As a general rule, a voter registers to vote in a specific geographicjurisdiction that is determined from the residential address that he orshe provides for the purpose of voting. Citizens can register to vote atelection offices. Depending on the state, citizens can also obtain voterregistration materials in many places, including military facilities,assisted living facilities, high schools, vocational schools, socialservice agencies, nursing homes, and libraries, or through voterregistration drives, or by downloading materials from the Internet. Inaddition, the National Voter Registration Act requires all states toprovide such materials at their departments of motor vehicles,departments of human services, and public assistance agencies. Byfilling out the required forms and providing the necessaryidentification, citizens in all states can also register to vote bymail. In at least three states (Washington, Kansas, and Arizona), acitizen can register to vote through the Internet if he or she alreadyhas a driver's license or a state-issued ID from that state. The votercompletes the registration form and it is returned to the electionoffice.

The returned materials are accompanied by an original signature thatserves as an authentication mechanism when voter registration must bechecked in the future. If the voter registers at a department of motorvehicles, the relevant information may be extracted from the informationon file or provided at the department of motor vehicles (DMV) andtransmitted electronically to the election office, along with thesignature on file with the DMV as an authentication device for the voterat the polls. Overseas voters, and voters of the U.S. armed forces andtheir dependents, can sometimes register to vote by fax.

The voting Postal Service address of record determines the precinct fromwhich the voter may cast his or her ballot, whether at the pollingplace, or by absentee or mail ballot, or by an early vote. A precinct isa subdivision of a local election jurisdiction, and all voters in agiven precinct vote at one polling place. (Sometimes, a number of smallprecincts are consolidated at one polling place, and sometimes electionofficials can require that all voters from certain precincts vote bymail.) A local election jurisdiction is an administrative entityresponsible for the conduct and administration of elections within it,and may be a county or a municipality (a city or town). Therefore, thePostal Service address can serve as a critical data authenticationvariable to confirm a voter's address of record to permit a vote to becast by absentee or mail ballot, or by internet voting means using aconsumer device under the method herein described.

In connection with understanding the invention in greater detail, itwould be useful to define some of the common terms used herein whendescribing various embodiments of the invention.

The term(s), “Consumer Device” and “Mobile Communication Device” (alsoboth known as cell phone or mobile phone device, camera phone,Smartphone, handheld device, netbook or tablet computer, palmtop orsimply handheld) is a pocket-sized computing device, typically having anelectronic display screen and camera lens or image capture sensor with aminiature keyboard that includes, but is not limited to pocket sizedinternet-connected wireless devices and other tablet devices that arelarger versions of handheld mobile camera image capture devices.Generally, these devices are wirelessly connected to the internet byWiMAX, Wi-Fi or wireless data carriers (e.g., AT&T®, Sprint®, orVerizon®). Typically they have a GPS or A-GPS receiver for sensing,determining and reporting location data, a touch screen for data entryor voter selection(s), over-the-air (OTA) software download andapplication program storage capability, image capture/processing andother sensors and computer circuits including removable and exchangeableSIM card for inserting into the device for communication capabilities toreceive and transmit electronic data messages, including votes and voterrelated ballot files.

The term “Durable Computer Readable Medium” is an information storagemedium that is created by a durable process. Specifically, a processshall be the combination of hardware, software, storage media,techniques and procedures used to manage, create, store, retrieve, anddelete information belonging to a custodian agency that in this case, isthe state or other business, consumer or governmental entity managingand administering the voting process and related data records. A processshall be a durable process if it meets all of the following criteria:(1) The process is capable of creating and storing information for therequired records retention period as specified by voting rules, electionrules or similar data retention policies or guidelines; (2) The processcan be migrated to a successor process when necessary and will retainall information available in the original process after migration to thesuccessor process; (3) The process maintains the integrity ofinformation in a readily accessible manner, makes it retrievable, makesit able to be processed through an established usual or routine set ofprocedures using available hardware and software, and makes itaccurately reproducible in a human-readable form as determined by theneeds of the custodian agency; (4) The process provides for disasterrecovery backups, which are periodically, depending on a retentionschedule, verified for restorability and readability, and can be storedin a separate geographical location from the original information; (5)The process is demonstrated to create and maintain information for theretention period as specified, in an accurate, reliable, trustworthy,dependable and incorruptible manner; (6) The process allows the removalof information when it reaches the end of its required retention period;and (7) The process is documented so as to demonstrate to a reasonableperson compliance with these criteria.

The term “Postal Mail Delivery Address” includes, but is not limited tothe full and complete address in a standardized format that enables aPostal Service to deliver mail communication to an individual. In theUnited States, a standardized address is a complete address that can berepresented, by example, on an envelope cover as: MR M MURRAY, APT C,5800 SPRINGFIELD GARDENS, CIRSPRINGFIELD VA 22162-1058. Other suitableforms of postal mail delivery address are detailed in U.S. PostalService “Publication 28, Postal Addressing Standards, July 2008 (PSN7610-03-000-3688),” and updated online at the U.S. Postal Servicewebsite and at similar international post websites and on the UniversalPostal Union (UPU) website that describe and issue postal mail deliveryaddress standards and acceptable format updates for Postal Servicemailing and addressing services. It should be noted that “postal maildelivery address” is not meant to be applied to a postal Zip Code orpostal region defined in a map or table, but apply to a specific, singleGPS latitude and longitude coordinate and comparison data point thatmatch to a Postal Service deliverable mail address according to a PostalService's addressing standards.

The term “Postal Service” includes, but is not limited to a governmentdepartment or agency handling the transmission of mail. In the UnitedStates, the United States Postal Service® is the independent governmentagency that receives, delivers, and processes mail to physical streetaddresses associated with individuals (i.e., a voter), businesses andresidential Postal Service address location(s). In Switzerland, thecorresponding government department would be SwissPost®. The term“Postal Mail” includes, but is not limited an entity officiallydesignated by national authorities of a country as responsible forfulfilling the obligations arising from the transportation and deliveryof Postal Service mail. Similarly, the term “Postal Mailing Address”includes, but is not limited to an entity officially designated by thenational authorities of a country as responsible for fulfilling theobligations arising from its associated agreements within its nationalterritory, corresponding to the national authorities authorized todeliver mail to a formatted mailing address to a location (correspondingto GPS mail address data coordinates) and addressed to a specificindividual (i.e., voter) at a registered home mailing address or otherPostal Service address of record.

The term “SIM card” refers to a “SIM” is a computer-based device thatstands for Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. The removable SIM cardallows mobile communication devices to be instantly activated,interchanged, swapped out and upgraded, all without mobile networkcarrier intervention. The SIM itself is tied to the wireless network,rather than the actual phone. The SIM card technology can utilizeJavaCard technology (i.e., Java 2.1.1 and above and using SCWStechnology for over-the-air content updates or software downloads fromthe internet or network carrier (e.g., Verizon®). A SIM card is a canalso be sent by Postal Service mail to a designated individual's homevoter mailing address or otherwise provided at a designated location toa consumer device owner to replace an existing SIM by sliding out anexisting removable SIM card already in the device, or “hot swapping,”for single-use application such to register vote or related votingballot data entry voting process on the device for the designatedindividual to register or cast a vote and be counted.

The term “JavaCard” includes a technology that provides a secureenvironment for applications that run on smart cards and other devicesin mobile communication devices with very limited memory and processingcapabilities. Multiple applications can be deployed on a single card,and new ones can be added to it even after it has been issued to the enduser. Applications written in the Java® programming language can beexecuted securely on cards from different vendors. The JavaCard platformcan enable download over the wireless carrier associated with a mobilecommunications device of location-based and identify security appletsdeveloped with JavaCard technology to run on any Java Cardtechnology-enabled smart card, independently of the card vendor andunderlying hardware.

The terms “CMOS camera image capture” or “CMOS Sensor” is a sensor forcamera image capture and processing now integrated into most consumermobile devices that include built-in unit camera systems in which thelens, image sensor and processing engine are housed. An image sensor isa device that converts an optical image to an electric signal that canbe sent wirelessly by a consumer Smartphone as an electronic digitaldata file to a server over a wireless network carrier infrastructure andinternet connectivity. It is used mostly in digital cameras and othermobile imaging devices. An image sensor is typically a charge-coupleddevice (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)active-pixel sensor.

The term “active-pixel sensor” or (APS), is an image sensor consistingof an integrated circuit containing an array of pixel sensors, eachpixel containing a photo detector and an active amplifier. There aremany types of active pixel sensors including the CMOS APS used mostcommonly in cell phone cameras and external/internal consumer device webcameras. Such an image sensor is produced by a CMOS process (and ishence also known as a CMOS sensor), and has emerged as an alternative tocharge-coupled device (CCD) imager sensors.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not of limitation. The breadth and scope of thepresent invention should not be limited by any of the above-describedexemplary embodiments. Where this document refers to technologies thatwould be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, suchtechnologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisannow or at any time in the future. In addition, the invention is notrestricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations,but the desired features can be implemented using a variety ofalternative architectures and configurations. As will become apparent toone of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, theillustrated embodiments and their various alternatives can beimplemented without confinement to the illustrated example. One ofordinary skill in the art would also understand how alternativefunctional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations could beutilized to implement the desired features of the present invention.

One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one ormore features of any other embodiment without departing from the scopeof the invention.

1. A computer-implemented method for authenticating a mobile device forelectronic voting over the internet comprising a. storing a geographicallocation of a voter's postal mail delivery address prior to an election,wherein the geographical location comprises longitude and latitudecoordinates, in a database stored in a computer server to which anelection authority has access; b. upon receiving from a mobile device atthe computer server an internet vote by the voter in the election andthe geographical location of the device, determining whether thegeographical location of the mobile device is within a predetermineddistance from the registered geographical location for the voter by celltower triangulation geolocation (“A-GPS” or “Assisted-GPS”); and c. ifthe geographical location of the mobile device is not within thepredetermined distance from the registered postal address for the voter,rejecting the internet vote.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprisingcross-referencing the voter's registered postal mail delivery address tothe longitude and latitude geographical location data coordinates storedin the computer server memory.
 3. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising determining the distance between the geographical location ofthe device and the voter's registered geographical location, wherein ifthe determined distance is greater than the predetermined distance,sending a message to the mobile device to indicate that the internetvote has not been accepted because the geographical location of thedevice exceeds the predetermined distance from the voter's registeredgeographical location longitude and latitude coordinates.
 4. The methodof claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a voting softwareapplication program accessible over the internet and a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) data sensing receiver, wherein the device isconfigured to: communicate GPS location sensor data with the votingsoftware program application over a first transmission network;transmitting voting data to a first server, the data comprising locationinformation data coordinates; and performing a data comparison in asecond network server to determine an indication that the location is aGPS data location address acceptable by the voter application programrules and permissions programmed by a voting authority or other votingadministrator to process an individual vote from the device that mayinclude rules and permissions as to date(s) and time(s) acceptable forvoting.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the postal address can be thesame address as a physical election voting or polling location address,identified as location data coordinates, that is identified by a votingauthority as an acceptable location under the method to enable a voterto vote using the device while physically located at a voter pollingplace.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is providedat a physical election polling place by a voting authority that includesone or more of the following elements designed to assist voters withdisabilities to process a vote; a voter software launch application toinitiate a voting process on the device; a tactile keyboard for dataentry, an audible data file translation software application totranslate a ballot displayed on the device screen into an audible voicedata file to audibly read the voter ballot contents displayed to thevoter, a corresponding voice recognition data entry software program tocapture voice response commands by the voter and then confirm the entryby audible data file translation to enter a vote by the method.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein a sample voter ballot or mock election voteprocess is provided online at a URL accessed web page address for thepurpose of permitting a voter with a mobile device to test their device,in advance of an actual vote event, to determine if their device issuitable for processing a vote under the method, and to further permit avoter to enter and complete a sample voting process with the device. 8.The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a camerafunction and wherein an image, using the camera function, of a physicalauthentication image selected from the group consisting of the voter'sdriver's license, handwritten signature document, face, passport, anddurable computer readable identifier medium is captured and transmittedby the device to an election authority computer server.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the handwritten signature document is only one of adurable computer readable identifier in the form of a state issueddriver's license, national ID card, an election vote absentee ballot, orgovernmental issued passport that each contain a handwritten signatureof the voter.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device is aconsumer mobile cellular telephone device, a Smartphone, or a portablecomputer tablet device; wirelessly connected to the internet by WiMAX,Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, LTE, CDMA, or GSM wireless mobile device data carriertransmission technologies.
 11. A computer system for authenticating amobile device for electronic voting over the internet comprising a. avoter registration module accessed by computer-implemented serverconfigured to store a geographical location of a voter's postal maildelivery address prior to an election, wherein the geographical locationcomprises longitude and latitude coordinates, in a database; b. anauthentication module configured to (1) receive from a mobile device avote by the voter in the election; (2) receive from a mobile devicecarrier cell tower triangulation data identifying the geographicallocation of the mobile device; (3) determine whether the geographicallocation of the mobile device is within a predetermined distance fromthe registered geographical location for the voter; and (4) if thegeographical location of the mobile device is not within thepredetermined distance from the registered postal address for the voter,to reject the internet vote.
 12. The computer system of claim 11 furthercomprising an Application Program Interface (API) data module stored ina mobile device or stored in a remote server accessible over theinternet by a mobile device at the request of the voter.
 13. Thecomputer system of claim 11 further comprising a SIM card identificationmodule comprising a voting software application download to the SIM cardconfigured to, enable reference data collection, location datavalidation, and authentication to vote on the device.
 14. The computersystem of claim 11 further comprising a query module in the SIM cardmemory, the query module configured to communicate with the mobiledevice and a remote reference database server storing registered postaladdress location data for computational data matching to permit thecapture and storage of a vote in an election by the computer-implementedserver.
 15. The computer system according to claim 11, wherein theauthentication module is configured to compare the radial distancebetween the geographical location reported by the mobile device and thegeographical location of the registered postal address and to reject thevote if the radial distance exceeds a predetermined value.
 16. Thecomputer system according to claim 11 adapted to authenticate electronicshareholder proxy voting.
 17. The computer system according to claim 11,wherein the computer server further includes voter communication contentover the internet comprising clickable internet links or video datafiles related to election vote selection options on mobile device. 18.The computer system according to claim 11 adapted to include sending orreceiving voter and polling data to a Mobile Communication Device by SMSor short code message data.
 19. The computer system according to claim11 adopted to include opt-in permission registration for a voter toregister a Consumer Device to receive advertising sponsored messages onthe mobile device and a computer server system to calculate fees to becharged to a voting authority for sending advertising messages, votesand voter polling replies in response to advertising sponsored messagesin a voter election, polling or shareholder meeting.
 20. The computersystem according to claim 11 adapted to authenticate a voter, prior tomaking a vote election on the mobile device by a first automatedphysical location check-in registration process to electronicallyauthenticate and report location of the mobile device in combinationwith a second check-in registration step that requests a voter'spassword be entered into mobile device or electronically reported bymobile device to the computer system.
 21. A computer system forauthenticating a mobile device for a transaction over the internetcomprising a. a hardware server configured to register and store in adatabase geographical location longitude and latitude coordinates of apostal mail delivery address; b. an authentication module configured to(1) receive a transaction; (2) receive carrier cell tower triangulationdata, assisted GPS data identifying the current geographical location ofthe mobile device, or a combination of the triangulation data andAssisted GPS data; (3) determine whether the current geographicallocation of the mobile device is within a predetermined distance fromthe registered geographical location of the postal mail deliveryaddress; and (4) reject the transaction if the geographical location ofthe mobile device is not within the predetermined distance from theregistered postal address.
 22. A non-transitorycomputer-readable-storage medium comprising one or morecomputer-executable instructions which, when executed by at least oneprocessor of a mobile-communication device, cause the mobile-computingdevice to: (1) receive a transaction; (2) receive carrier cell towertriangulation data, Assisted GPS data identifying the currentgeographical location of the mobile device, or a combination of thetriangulation data and GPS data; (3) determine whether the currentgeographical location of the mobile device is within a predetermineddistance from the registered geographical location of the postal maildelivery address; and (4) reject the transaction if the geographicallocation of the mobile device is not within the predetermined distancefrom the registered postal address.
 23. The medium of claim 22, whereinthe information sufficient to complete the data transaction comprises awireless mobile phone number identifier associated with the transactionand with the mobile device.
 24. The medium of claim 23, wherein theinformation sufficient to complete the data transaction compriseslocation determining data that enables an individual or business to denythe transaction based at least in part on the location distance rangecoordinate comparison information between two or more latitude andlongitude positions.
 25. The medium of claim 22, wherein authorizing thetransaction is performed automatically by the mobile device withoutinput from a user of the mobile device.
 26. The medium of claim 22wherein the computer-executable instructions are transmitted by internetusing WiFi access point identification, connectivity and locationreporting data between one or more registered WiFi location points andthe mobile device.
 27. A system comprising a set of computer-executableinstructions stored on computer readable medium of claim 22.